Maths14-16
14-16
You might be looking forward to dropping maths at the first available opportunity, but don't be too hasty. Whether you plan to go on to work, A-levels (or equivalent), or other further studies, a good understanding of maths will be useful to you. Your number skills will come in handy in everyday situations, such as trying to work out whether you can afford those shoes you're after. Learning to think like a mathematician will improve your problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Poster Competition 2011 / 2012
Ever wondered about the people behind the maths you learn at school? If you’re aged between 11 and 16 why not enter our competition to design a poster about a mathematician from the past? You could win a £100 Amazon Voucher!
What use is maths?
You may wonder what connects the maths you do in school to the real world. Will you ever have to solve an equation or find an angle outside your classroom? Maths is very useful and is everywhere in everyday life.
Birthday Paradox
How many people in your class share a birthday? The answer is probably more than you think.
Finding the lay of the land
Surveyors play an important role in our society, helping us to construct buildings and roads, settle land ownership, and draw maps. In addition to strong mathematical skills, surveyors must also understand elements of engineering and the legal system.
Reaching new heights
Athletes rarely deviate from traditional techniques simply because they work so well, but sometimes one individual can revolutionise an entire sport.
Everyone's a winner
Game shows offer ordinary people the chance to be on TV and maybe even win some money, but when the studio lights are blazing and the presenter is waiting for your answer, you might wish you'd just stayed watching at home!
Journey to another dimension
We live in a three-dimensional world, where the familiar directions of left-right, backward-forward, and up-down dictate everything that we see and experience. Three's not enough for mathematicians though, as they can explore worlds of four, five, or even a million dimensions.
Get lost
Sat-nav systems have found their way into millions of cars over the last decade. But how do these small gadgets know that you've gone off track?
Making business better
Operational research uses mathematical methods to help come up with predictions and make better decisions. Problems such as how many buses to run or how much milk to buy can't be solved with one simple equation, and finding the answer often involves creativity as well as calculations.
How round is your money?
The British 50p coin has a rather unusual shape. Like a circle, it has a fixed diameter, but clearly it isn’t as round as a circle. However, it is rounder than a regular heptagon, which has straight sides. So, just how round is it?
A universal language
There are many native tongues used around the world, but everyone shares the language of mathematics.
Cube Puzzle winners and solution
The Cube Puzzle was a challenge brought to the Big Bang London courtesy of the MathsCareers Team.
How to have a healthy sex life
There are 25 different types of STIs, including HIV, and chlamydia. How safe are you?
Martial Maths
Mechanics, the mathematics of how things move, can explain how a little old man bests several muscle-bound opponents.
Metals in the food chain
An example of how maths helps ecologists study the transport of pollution, biologists study its affect on animals and plants, doctors advise on preventing health problems, and the general public take control of their well-being.
What are you drinking?
The Government’s drinking guidelines suggest that men shouldn’t go over 3 or 4 units of alcohol a day regularly, while women should keep it to 2 or 3. But what are these units?
On the way to Wembley
Have you ever thought about the stadiums in which your favourite football team plays?
Budgeting for success
Never seem to have enough cash? With a budget you can track your spending and plan for the future.
Smashing up the universe
The Large Hadron Collider is an ambitious project which hopes to find the smallest pieces that make up matter and study them.
Waste not, want not
Think recycling is too much hard work? It can actually be easier than throwing waste away.
Life without a calculator
How did people deal with big numbers before the invention of the calculator?
Do iPods really shuffle?
Switching to shuffle is a great way of changing up your playlist, but a random mix isn't always best.
Sign on the dotted line
It's called the music “business” for a reason, so find out if you're getting a good deal.
